ROSEBURG – The Roseburg High School athletic department is getting closer to finding a replacement to long-time head football coach Thurman Bell. Athletic director Russ Bolin announced that 17 applications have been received for the position and a screening team is currently processing the applicants.

The screening process is expected to take a week and interviews with the remaining candidates are anticipated in early April after spring break. Once interviews and reference checks have been completed, Bolin says the department hopes to have a candidate to recommend for hire to the school board during its regularly scheduled meeting on Wednesday, April 13th.

Coach Bell spent 45 years coaching at Roseburg High School and took the Indians to nine state championship games during that span. Bell won four times in the title game, last in 1996 when he completed back-to-back titles and undefeated seasons.

Roseburg’s new coach will take over a program that went 1-7 overall last year and missed the playoffs for the first time in 24 years.

– Joey Keeran | joey@bciradio.com | @joeykeeran